Had a working weekend. Gary was on call Friday night, and on back-up Saturday and Sunday, which meant that he didn't have to be at the hospital, but had to be close enough to get there quickly if needed. So we got lots of errands run, had dinner with Katie on Saturday night and did work around the house:

- Finished re-grouting and sealing the shower in the Master Bathroom. The idiots who grouted it the first time left nails in some of the seams, which of course began to discolor and loosen the grout. I started just removing those sections, but eventually took all the grout out and replaced it. Finally sealed it on Saturday and got to use it this morning. Yay!
- IKEA! Both days! We got a couple of wooden stools for the wine cellar, plus a bunch of stuff for the shore. It's all sitting in the living room, waiting for us to go back down again - I think the last weekend in September.
- Cut down the massive weed-trees in the yard and poured nasty killer chemicals all over them to hopefully prevent them from coming back.
- Steam cleaned the gallery deck and part of the first floor. I'll wait to finish that until they get done working in the house this week.
- Moved Gary's Solar-Flex machine and bicycle track-stand into the corner of the living room/dining room. I got these inexpensive gauzy white curtains at IKEA along with some bamboo rods and sectioned off the area. It looks a bit fou-fou, but Gary said he's macho enough for it.
- Hung pictures (the framed orange crate labels) in the laundry room. Looks nice.
- Vacuumed.
- Changed lightbulbs.
- Rearranged the garage.

Americans aiming to lower their blood pressure don't always need to hit the gym: According to a new study, cleaning the house, doing some yard work or washing the car may help do the trick.

In the study, 28 people ages 42 to 63 were asked to burn 150 calories during a 12-hour period working around their house. They wore devices to measure blood pressure, activity and intensity.

Researchers found that four hours of accumulated daily "lifestyle physical activity" cut blood pressure for an average of six to eight hours. In hypertensive individuals -- people with systolic blood pressure readings of 140 mm Hg or above -- this type of routine housework was linked to a decline in that number of nearly 13 mm Hg over eight hours, according to the study.

[Lifestyle physical activity? I just thought it was chores.]

This NEVER happens to me. For some reason I was in the mood for a Cobb Salad today. I searched around and decided that I would walk over to The Palm restaurant and get one for lunch.

I walk up to the hostess stand and ask if they are seating for lunch at the bar. She says, "We're having a party today. Are you on the list?" I said, no, I don't think so. She says, "Do you come here a lot?" I said, "Whenever I can." She replies, "Well, go ahead and get a seat at the bar."

I sit at the bar, intent on ordering my Cobb Salad, and the bartender asks if I'd like a glass of champagne. "It's on the house," he says. Well, OK. Come to find out that - unbeknownst to me - The Palm has been closed for goodness-knows-how-long and TODAY was their Grand Reopening. By invitation only.

The bad news is: I can't get my Cobb Salad - they have a fixed menu today.

The good news is: It's all free.

So for lunch I had a fried calamari, shrimp, clams casino appetizer, with sirloin and filet entree, creamed spinach and an obscene amount of home-made potato chips and thin onion rings. For free. I felt a bit like a wedding crasher since everyone in there knew each other and the bartenders.

I also met Carlos, the nice gentleman who owns Vigant, the Italian boutique just down the hall. We had a nice chat about his store and his sons and his former life in New Orleans.

[I did take a pass on the slice of pie for dessert.]

By the way, today is National Boss/Employee Exchange Day. It is also Video Games Day. I'm not sure if that means that I was supposed to exchange video games with Carol or not, but she hasn't mentioned anything.